As winter settled in, the local listserve urged: Bleed the radiator. Violence solves little. And yet, the task sounded intriguing: Find radiator, insert key, turn left. Air hissed out. After which the radiator was happy to radiate. And what it radiated was heat.
Cold mornings banished with a mere twist of the wrist. Imagine if we’d picked up this trick a decade earlier.
Now we’re toasty as tostadas, which made an apt celebratory meal. For the new year, we’re revising that tired truism. Maybe: “It is what it is, unless you figure out what’s wrong with it and fix it.” And then down something delicious.
Not catchy. But effective.
Spinster Sisters Tostadas
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Makes: 6 tostadas, serves 3
The tostadas served at The Spinster Sisters restaurant in Santa Rosa, Calif., are made with fresh tortillas and heirloom beans. Delicious, no doubt. So is this version compiled from ready-made tortillas and canned beans. Fresh salsa verde is well worth the effort.
1 can (28 oz.) black beans
3 1/2 cups thinly shredded raw cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp. lime juice
Canola oil
Salt
6 small corn tortillas (about 5 or 6 inches in diameter)
1/4 crumbled Cotija cheese
Salsa verde, see recipe
1 avocado, halved, sliced
1. Thicken: Pour beans (and liquid) into a medium saucepan. Set over medium-low heat and let cook, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the rest of the dish. Add a little water if they look dry.
2. Toss: In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, radishes and cilantro. Dress with the lime juice, 2 tablespoons canola oil and a little salt.
3. Fry: Pour canola oil to a depth of 1/4 inch into a heavy skillet. Set over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas, one at a time, until crisp, about 20 seconds per side. Drain on kitchen towels.
4. Build: Set tortillas on a platter. Top with beans, and sprinkle with cheese. Pile on cabbage salad. Finish with a spoonful of the salsa and a few slices of avocado. Serve with additional salsa.
Salsa verde: Settle 6 husked tomatillos in a saucepan; fill with cold water to cover. Simmer until they turn from spring green to olive drab, 5-8 minutes. Drain. Halve and seed 1 serrano chili. Slice one-quarter of a yellow onion. Cook chili and onion in a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat until charred, about 4 minutes. In the blender, swirl the tomatillos, chilies, onions, one-quarter bunch cilantro (leaves and tender stems) and 1 ½ teaspoons salt.
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